


Drift (In)Compatible

by Taz_Eichel



Category: Pacific Rim (2013), Rush (2013)
Genre: Angst, Blow Jobs, Eventual Smut, Hand Jobs, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Sexual Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-28
Updated: 2013-11-03
Packaged: 2017-12-30 17:00:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1021175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taz_Eichel/pseuds/Taz_Eichel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Earth may be under attack by giant monsters, but the end of the world only comes for Niki Lauda when he realizes he must join minds with James Hunt to stop them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Evaluation

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a 3-part fic, with smut in the following 2 parts. Please note that although I am using the names of real people, this story is by no means intended to represent them.

            They matched each other strike for strike as an evaluator observed, adding and docking points on a clipboard with mechanical precision. James Hunt struck with the intensity of a thunderstorm, overbearing and electric in his handling and posturing. It was evident that he had intended to use his size advantage to intimidate his opponent. But although the man opposite him was slight in stature, he more than made up for it in his calculated technique and level aggressiveness. There was a fire in his eyes that James couldn't help but admire; he felt it in himself as well.

            It was with great satisfaction that the taller Englishman felled his Austrian rival. He'd taken a chance that happened to pay off, cutting into an opening that would have left him exposed if he had not been successful. The smaller man grimaced as he struck the floor, his upper lip curling over his infamous rat-like teeth. Niki Lauda's appearance was the subject of much teasing by all levels of staff, and especially by the Jaeger pilots-- a fact that didn't seem to faze him. The Austrian took to his feet, swinging low before spinning a sharp cut upwards towards Hunt's face. James deflected the blow reflexively, realizing too late that he'd let Lauda get the upper hand. His body became malleable in his opponent's grasp, twisting until he landed heavily on the floor, pinned under Lauda's wooden blade.

            "Enough." The Commander's voice rang through the training hall, snapping the Jaeger candidates to attention. "I've seen all I need to see. Hunt, Lauda, come with me."

            Niki released his opponent without a second glance, putting away his weapon and following the Commander. He was silent, he knew he had done well, but inside him an uneasiness roiled like a colony of ants. The blonde man next to him was grinning like a fool--he had been ever since he lost the last match--and the idea that this impulsive, arrogant, self-absorbed idiot could possibly be drift compatible with him was repulsive.

            The Commander entered his cell-like office and took a seat at his desk. He sat heavily, with a tiredness that had been whispered about, but not openly acknowledged. Hunt and Lauda stood across from him, waiting while their superior flipped through their files. James almost buzzed with excitement. It was with great difficulty that he managed to keep his mouth shut.

            "You already know why I called you here," the Commander stared at each of them in turn. "You are both the best in your training divisions. Your simulation scores are near evenly matched. Your neural scans identify you as drift compatible. And you have both proven yourselves physically capable to handle this responsibility. Welcome to the Jaeger program. I expect you to show up for the trial run at 0800 tomorrow. Dismissed."

            Niki Lauda left the office and turned down the hall briskly, intent on avoiding Hunt and getting to his room as quickly as possible. He wanted to rest and give himself the much needed alone time to come to terms with the piloting arrangement. He had hoped to be paired with Reggazoni, who took the possibility of piloting a Jaeger and protecting humanity with serious acceptance. As much as he respected the Commander's authority, the notion of joining minds with the man who made faces at him across the mess hall was absurd.

            "Niki! Hey, Niki!" James caught up with his co-pilot and pulled him into a stumbling hug. "This is great, isn't it? We'll finally get a chance to fight the Kaiju!"

            The Austrian tried to shrug off the embrace. "Don't be childish. This isn't play fighting. This is a war. And I will not jeopardize my life and the lives of thousands of others for you to have your fun."

            If his words hurt the Englishman, James Hunt didn't show it. "It wouldn't kill you to show some excitement every now and then. Aren't you looking forward to this?"

            Niki shot him a calculated look, trying not to picture what it would be like to have James Hunt rollicking through his mind. "No."

            James just continued to smile. "Well, I am."

            They continued to walk down the hall together, James Hunt's arm draped around Niki's shoulders. After the second unsuccessful attempt to remove it, Niki thought it better to just pretend like it wasn't there. Likewise, James ignored Niki's hostility. He wasn't sure why, but he felt instantly at ease around Niki. Their fight evaluation had proven all he needed to know about their compatibility, and James was never one to ignore his instincts. Something about him just felt right. He purposely passed his own room, only stopping when the Austrian had reached his quarters.

            Finally, Niki managed to pull away. He nodded in acknowledgement of Hunt before opening his door and stepping inside his small room. It held all the standard equipment: a single bunk with rough spun blankets, a locker with a shelf and a single hook, a small sink, a toilet, and a cracked mirror. The air was still, slightly musty, and suddenly, irrationally cold. Hunt's foot stuck in the door when Niki tried to close it.

            "What do you want?" Niki snapped. The warmth left over from the other man's embrace had begun to dissipate, and it left him feeling strangely alone. He had always preferred solitude--it gave him time to calm his mind--but the comfort he usually experienced upon entering his room was no longer there. His ribs were beginning to ache with frustration.

            James nudged the door open a bit wider and leaned casually against the frame, eyeing Niki and his scant bedroom. "Did you feel it? When we were fighting today. Did you feel what I felt?"

            Niki did not restrain himself from rolling his eyes. "I do not know what you felt. Now, I suggest you leave and prepare for tomorrow." He tried to close the door again. This time when James stopped it, Niki saw something akin to rejection flash across the man's face. But it disappeared immediately and Niki could not be sure.

            "I can't explain it. It just felt right. You know? We're compatible."

            The laugh that escaped Niki stung. The Austrian looked at him as if James had just told him that 2+2=5.

            "You don't think so?" James was surprised. He had been so sure, and had assumed that Niki felt the same way, despite not having displayed it with the same enthusiasm.

            "No."

            Someone was running down the hall. The _thunk-squeak_ of military-issued rubber soles on the plated metal erupting cacophonously until it completely consumed the silence that was growing between the two recently-instated pilots.

            "James! James! I heard you made pilot!" the soldier shouted as soon as he caught sight of Hunt. "I'd say congrats but with the _Rat_ of all people... " He cut his statement short when he saw Niki. The man at least had the good sense to look embarrassed. "Um, we're going for a drink in the mess. Just wanted to tell you."

            James Hunt delighted in the attention. The slight at Niki had no effect on him; he'd said as much and worse to him before they'd been made partners. He just grinned and assured his friend that he'd join him for drinks. When he turned back to Niki, his nonchalant attitude appeared rejuvenated. The corner of his mouth quirked, as if he had a secret he was keeping all to himself. "Since we'll be linked and everything, I suppose  I'll see for myself just how compatible we are tomorrow."

            The threat made Niki Lauda stiffen, and he all but shoved Hunt into the corridor as he slammed the door. Afterwards, he leaned his face against the icy metal, hoping to quell his sudden rage and calm himself down, but all he could think of was what Hunt's expression would look like after he'd rooted around in his brain. It killed Niki to know James was right. And it was torture to think about what his rival would find when he had unlimited access to his thoughts. Just like everyone else who came in contact with the Brit, Niki Lauda was not immune to James Hunts' charms. Their fight had been every bit as electrifying as Hunt implied, and almost everything Niki had wanted it to be. Except he'd always envisioned that they'd both wind up wearing less clothing at the end of it, bruised from sharp kisses rather than wooden blades.

            Niki sunk to the floor and rested his forehead on his knees, face burning with embarrassment. There was no way he could pilot a Jaeger with James Hunt. He'd never live it down.

                       


	2. Trial Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of the support I've received on this story so far. I'm glad you enjoy it. As I've mentioned in the note for the previous chapter, there is a bit of smut in this part, and there will be much more in part 3.  
> Please continue to note that although I am using the names of real people, this story is by no means intended to represent them.

            James Hunt sauntered into the mess hall at 0700 with a bounce in his step uncharacteristic of someone with a splitting headache and massive hangover. After passing by the food put out for breakfast, he poured himself a large mug of strong, black tea. It tasted like rust and scalded his tongue, but it eased some of the soreness of his battered stomach. He scanned the room, spotting Niki sitting alone a few tables away from where James' friends were gathered. The Austrian sipped at a cup of dark coffee as he mixed his spoon distractedly around in a bowl of yogurt. As James made his way across the hall, someone shouted something that he couldn't make out over the buzz of morning conversation, and Niki dropped the spoon with a clang and shoved himself up from the table.

            "Say it again! _Arschloch_ , say that to my face." Niki approached the offender--a young Jaeger pilot with a list of reprimands as long as his arm--fists clenched at his sides. The room had gone silent and all eyes were turned towards the two men. Niki Lauda had a reputation for his cold attitude and sharp tongue; he did not have one for starting fights. It was why he was seen as an easy target for jibes. James abandoned his tea and quickened his pace.

            "I said you're a coward." The pilot raised his voice, intent on creating a spectacle. People were more than willing to oblige, all too eager to indulge in the excitement, and got up from their seats in order to get a better view.

            Fury engulfed Niki like a flash fire, and James was sure that when he intervened he would be saving the young pilot's life, even if it was only as a consequence of making sure his partner wasn't injured. He grabbed Niki's arm and wrenched him back. "Leave it. Come on. Let's go."

            Niki recoiled from the touch, ripping away from Hunt and glaring up at him, eyes feral. "Don't touch me." But despite the anger that still blazed through him, Niki did not continue the fight. Instead he spat at the pilot's feet and flipped him the middle finger before storming out of the mess hall.

            The elation that Hunt had previously felt was forgotten, replaced by confusion and a renewed pounding inside his head. James pulled a mechanic aside. "What was that about?"

            "You hadn't heard?" the man looked like he wanted to laugh but was scared James might hit him. "Lauda asked the Commander this morning about getting re-evaluated. Everyone thinks he's too chicken to pilot."

            James did feel like hitting him.

            "He refused, though. Wouldn't even consider it when you guys haven't gone through trial."

            Looking past the mechanic, James Hunt could see the young pilot striding triumphantly back to his table. He followed him, his hand fisting at his side. "Hey, Asshole!"

*

            The drivesuit had been delivered to Niki Lauda that morning and he had spent a great deal of time inspecting every detail, running his fingers over the white striped decal on the smooth red plating, and resolutely _not_ putting it on. He had gone to breakfast more for a distraction than to eat anything, and he had not expected to return to the suit again so soon. It was an excellently crafted piece of tech, and Niki picked it up again, inspecting for flaws that he knew he would not find. When the clock read 0750, he got up from his cot, stared at the cracked mirror, and let out a huffed breath of frustration. Then he got himself dressed.

            There was no doubt that Niki would face a reckoning later. The Commander was a walking time bomb, enraged that Niki Lauda had the gall to show up late to his first Jaeger trial, and from the twitches of the control staff, it was evident that he had already made his anger known. Niki bypassed the control centre, walking stiffly in the new suit. It was like a second skin, fitted precisely to his form to ease movement during battle. However, it weighted on him as if it were drenched in cold water and the boots clanged sullenly on the metal ramp as he made his way into the Jaeger cockpit. James Hunt was already there.

            "Nice of you to finally show up," the Englishman remarked, annoyed. With the flashy red suit and perfect golden hair, Hunt looked every bit the part of Jaeger pilot they used to flaunt on television. Niki was impressed, but refused to allow Hunt the satisfaction of knowing it--he'd have access to all those thoughts once they were in the drift anyway. The muscles in his throat constricted as he tensed.

            Niki flicked the controls of the Jaeger harness, setting it on test mode. "There's something I need to tell you."

            Hunt glanced at him as he prepped. There was a split in James' bottom lip that Niki hadn't noticed earlier. He wondered who had given it to him, and wanted even more to feel it between his teeth. The thought twisted in his mind and made his gut tighten.

            "No point. We'll be in the drift in a few minutes."

            Once they'd harnessed themselves in, bonding mechanically with the war machine, the computer stated that control was prepping them for the neural handshake that would thrust them both into the drift.

            "Ready, Niki?" James' easy smile had returned.

            No, Niki Lauda was not ready, but calibration had already been initiated by the time he was able to say so.

 

[]

            [An older Austrian man--his father--Niki's father--breathed out cigar smoke like it was costing him money to do so. He held the cigar in his right hand and used it with emphasis, as a conductor would a baton. He was telling him--Niki--that he should take his money and invest it in the wall. It was a good business venture, he asserted, and Jaegers were a wasted effort and only good for cheap television advertisements. Only playboys, dilettantes, and idiots would get involved in such things.]

            [He bribed his way into the Jaeger candidate program using the last of his savings along with his schematic designs. They told him that he was needed more as an engineer and to leave piloting for other men. Niki insisted otherwise, and they had no choice but to relent.]

            [ _Rat_ , they called him, mimicking his bucked teeth. There was a blonde British man that was especially adept at it, and it made his blood boil until he beat his training simulation score. He could call Niki a rat as much as he liked, it didn't change the fact that Niki had come out on top.]

            [He hadn't kept his standing for long; competition with the Brit was fierce, bordering on obsessive. Their names overtook one another almost daily and were always within a few points. None of the other names even mattered anymore. Niki watched as a man who embodied everything he disrespected proved his equal time and time again. Niki was sure he hated James Hunt.]

            [Alone in his bunk, his hand traced down along the sheen of sweat on his skin, biting into it with his nails and imagining it was someone else. He wanted to feel the weight of another body on his, lips and teeth teasing at his neck, and whispers tickling in his ear that would make his toes curl. _Do you like that, Niki?_ He stifled a moan, his eyebrows creasing slightly as he panted. Precum beaded on the head of his cock and he slicked it down his shaft with frustrating slowness.

            _More_ , he was ready to plead. _Bitte, James._

            _What was that, Niki? You know I don't speak German._

            Niki knew all too well that James understood-- _would_ understand--but he was just as much of a prick in his fantasy as in real life. He tightened his grip minutely and pushed into his hand. _Please._

            That's when his rival would smirk, the same flash in his eyes that he had whenever he beat Niki's score, biting Niki's lip and claiming his mouth as he stroked him with a deft roughness until Niki came with a muffled cry.]

[]

            The Jaeger shuddered as if hit, wrenching both pilots in their harnesses and sending the computer and control room into a frenzy. _Out of alignment. Out of alignment. Out of alignment. Pilots One and Two are out of alignment_.

            Niki Lauda breathed heavily behind his visor as his heart raced in his chest. He pulled at the harness and tubing with frantic speed, stumbling onto the floor of the cockpit in his attempt to escape. His suit was tight from his arousal, hindering his ability to manoeuvre, and he cursed loudly at his stupidity. James Hunt was saying something to him as he also tried to free himself from the restraints, but Niki refused to listen. The Austrian slammed his fist down on the hatch release panel and threw himself out of the cockpit. The Jaeger had slumped to the side after they'd jolted out of alignment, and Niki had to jump onto the ramp where it crookedly met up with the machine. As he ran, the screech of metal as the mechanics tried to right the Jaeger screamed in his ears, but he could still hear everyone shouting. If the Commander was furious before, it was nothing compared to how he must have felt then. He was demanding answers from the flustered control staff, while the pilots watching from down below hooted and called like mocking birds.  

            By the time James Hunt made it onto the ramp, Niki was gone and he was left to answer for the situation himself.

            The Commander stepped between Hunt and the entrance to the main section of the base. "I swear, if Lauda fucked this up just because I wouldn't give him a re-evaluation, I am going to make sure he never so much as _touches_ a Jaeger again."

            "I'll deal with it." James stood his ground. "Sir."

            "You better."


	3. Compatibility

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the third chapter of this story, which I think I will extend to 4 parts rather than 3. After that, if I write more for this AU, I'll do so in oneshots. I don't like leaving stories ongoing for too long anymore because I've had trouble finishing them in the past and I don't like to leave people hanging.  
> In the meantime, I hope you continue to enjoy what I've written. You've been amazingly supportive so far, and I appreciate it.  
> Please continue to note that although I am using the names of real people, this story is by no means intended to represent them.

            The helmet skidded on the floor when Niki Lauda threw it across his tiny room. It bumped against the wall and spun into the corner where it lay like a hunk of dead metal. He should never have put it on in the first place; he'd known the risks were too high. He started to unfasten the rest of his armour, removing his gloves and kicking off the boots, wanting to be rid of it all. The floor was cool beneath his bare feet and soothing to the touch. He wanted to lay against it and forget.

            There were noises at his door: clicks and scratches that seemed to penetrate into the iron, causing the tumblers to fall into place with a series of clacks. The inside handle spun once before the hinges shrieked in protest and the door swung open. James Hunt barged in, hair wild, and mouth set in a hard line, slamming the entrance closed behind him. He shoved a gloved finger into Niki's chest just above his racing heart.

            "What was that all about?" the Brit growled, bearing down on Niki until the smaller man's back hit the wall. "Are you going to tell me?"

            Niki Lauda clenched his jaw and stared back at Hunt defiantly. He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head in refusal. His face felt like it was on fire.

            "' _Please, James', 'Fuck me, James',_ " the man taunted, so close that Niki could feel the warm breath against his cheek. "Is that what you want, Niki? Hmm?"

            Niki shoved his hands against James' chest, but the other man only pushed closer, ducking his head so he could nuzzle his nose against Niki's ear. "It's what I want," he whispered.

            The words sizzled down his spine, igniting an urge that both terrified Niki and left him heady with arousal. He balked at it violently.

            "Fuck off. Don't lie to me," the Austrian spat, knocking James back a step. "You're only here to get a reaction. Well you can go fuck yourself. Have your laugh somewhere else."

            James had no intention of leaving. He dominated the space with the same aggressive stance he took when he fought, tense and staring like a tomcat about to pounce.

            "You're such a self-centred asshole--you know that, Niki? Maybe if you weren't so fucking stubborn, you wouldn't have to spend all that time wanking inside your head. Maybe you'd actually spend some time with real people."

            The moment for technicalities and calculations was over. Niki launched himself at James, striking ferociously at every bit of the man he could, driving months worth of pent-up emotion into his punches. He didn't care that his knuckles only skimmed off of the plated armour of his opponent's drivesuit, or that they were destroying what little order his room had been in previously. They tumbled to the floor with a satisfying crash, and Niki grunted as James' knee was driven into his stomach. He twisted, knocking the Brit into the steel bedframe before he flipped him on the floor. Niki didn't stop until Hunt was pinned and he could taste the metallic tang of blood in his mouth. He kissed James possessively, tugging at the split in the man's bottom lip with his teeth, still angry but no less aroused. James responded with the fervour of a winner finally claiming his prize, and Niki could feel it when his rival grinned into the kiss. A pang of disgust shot through him and he pulled away.

            "Sneaky bastard. Don't be such a tease." James caught Niki with a free hand and pulled him back down. The kiss was all tongue, sloppy and searching and erratic. It was as if James wanted to taste all of him at once and couldn't decide which part he liked best. His eagerness squandered the last of Niki's trepidations, and he fell into the kiss with a low moan.

            James tugged at the armoured plating of Niki's drivesuit, freeing the catches and pulling it up over the Austrian's head when they broke apart. Niki helped with its removal, unlatching the pieces methodically from his arms and legs, until all that was left was the thin circuitry suit that covered his body like a second skin. He sat back, about to unzip it when James clambered on top of him, still wearing his own armour. The Brit's weight bore down on Niki's already painfully hard erection, causing him to cry out at the sudden contact. However, the glare he shot Hunt was fleeting. James had latched his mouth onto Niki's neck and was doing things to it that had the Austrian cursing helplessly under his breath.

            "What's that, Niki? You want me to stop?" James' eyes glistened as he smirked down at the smaller man he was quickly turning into a writhing mess. Dark red marks spotted Lauda's neck from his jaw to his collar, contrasting beautifully with the man's pale skin. James fingered the zipper of Niki's suit, tugging it down just enough to reveal the first few inches of his chest.

            "No," Niki grimaced, shifting under Hunt.  
            "'No, stop' or 'No, keep going'?" James pulled the zipper down slowly as he said it, pressing his lips to the smooth skin as it was exposed. If it had been a competition, Niki would have just admitted defeat.

            "Keep going, _Arschloch_ ," he snapped impatiently. He knew that James was baiting him, but he no longer cared. The need for more contact flooded his body, and he was ready to do just about anything to get it.

            "If you insist."

            James continued his descent, pulling down the zipper and flaying open the fabric as if he were skinning Niki alive. He ravished every bit he uncovered,  torturing the other man with his tongue.

            "What are you- _ah-_ doing?" Niki gasped. The blonde man had caught one of Niki's nipples between his teeth and swiped at it with the tip of his tongue. A shiver shot through Niki and he blushed deeply at how much he enjoyed it. "I'm not--"

            James' eyes flicked up to meet Niki's as if to challenge the unfinished statement.  All the while he continued his lingering pace, as if daring Lauda to order him to stop. He didn't.

            By the time James had drawn the zipper all the way down, Niki was agonizingly hard and straining off the floor, his hips jerking up at the slightest touch. The Austrian was cursing in German at James, clutching at the Brit's still armoured body and trying to drag him down to increase the friction between them. His demanding tone had gradually spiralled into an insistent pleading, which James--being the wretch that he was--wholly encouraged.

            "Keep calling me that and I might just leave you like this," James teased after Niki had unleashed a particularly volatile string of curses. "Would you like that Niki? Left all hot and hard and _wanting_? Would you beg me to touch you like you did in the drift? You have no idea what that does to me."

            He palmed Niki's cock lightly, just enough to accentuate his point and leave Niki groaning at the loss when James removed his hand. "You insufferable son-of-a-bitch," Lauda growled. James' suit was slick with precum where Niki had managed to press against him, but the plated surface had done little to ease Niki's arousal and he was growing desperate. "Just touch me. _Please_."

            "You know, I think I like it better in German," James stalled, running a hand lazily down Niki's thigh.

            "Bitte, then," the Austrian implored. He curled his fingers around the back of the Brit's neck, carding them through the man's damp, blonde hair, and pulling him in for a longing kiss. " _Bitte_ , James."

            It took much of James' resolve not to rid himself of his suit and fuck Niki into the floor. As much as he knew how much they both wanted to--the impression from the drift was still rich in his mind--he doubted it was something either of them were ready for. And despite the discomfort of the confining suit, the satisfaction of seeing Niki utterly debauched beneath him in contrast excited him all the more. James traced his way down Niki's body before settling between the man's knees. The head of the Austrian's cock beaded with precum and wept a thin line down the side of his shaft. James licked at it from root to tip, striping the side of Niki's cock with a sheen of saliva before taking all of it into his mouth. The moan Niki made was treacherous. The dark haired man twitched and fisted his hands at his sides. His curses had turned incoherent, transformed into low whines and strained gasps as James swallowed him down.

            Niki had never thought James Hunt would be much good at this. His reputation was that of an incorrigible womanizer, renowned for his skills in bed, certainly, but not in those of men. It seemed he was determined to prove Niki's assumptions wrong with every swipe and swirl of his tongue. Niki's stomach had tied itself in knots a dozen times over when he finally felt like he was going to explode from the tension.

            " _James_ ," he managed to choke out. His hand reached out for Hunt like a blind man in the dark, tangling in the Brit's golden hair. James Hunt pulled off slowly, instead gripping and tugging Niki with an expertly formed fist so that he could see the man come apart. It didn't take long. Niki Lauda came with a harsh cry, thrusting hard into James' hand and spattering the front of the man's drivesuit. 

            "I certainly hope that was better than you imagined it to be," James remarked, settling down beside his flushed former-rival.

            Niki glared over at Hunt, breathing heavily, overbite accentuated by his parted lips. "You're such an asshole."

            The Brit barked out a laugh. "Oh, come here, you little rat. I'll show you how much of an asshole I can be."

            "No. Absolutely not," Lauda growled, realizing James' intention with a panicked jolt. "I _do not_ cuddle."

            "Well, I do," James smirked. He already had his arms wrapped around the struggling Austrian and embraced him tightly to his chest.

            "Do you always get what you want?" Niki grunted, settling, frustrated, in the hold. He felt exhausted and could tell this would not be an easy battle to win. The drivesuit was solid against his shoulder blades, and comfortingly warm. It was a pointless question anyway; he already knew the answer.

            "Usually." If James Hunt could grin any wider his head would probably split in two. "Do you still think we're incompatible?"

            "I think that might require further testing."

            "Why, Niki, was that a joke? You really are full of surprises today." James snuggled closer, eliminating what little space was left between them.

            "Shut up, James. That's not what I meant."

            But Niki was lying and they both knew it. They'd seen each other's secrets, after all.

                       


End file.
